


Like Stars We Shine

by orphan_account



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: #Hanzo just except the love, #domestic AU???, #fluff for days, #gaystuff, #hanzoisatotalsweetheart, #jesseneedslove, #my heart can't handle the fluff, #overwatch, Help its 3 am and I don't know what I'm doing, M/M, McHanzo - Freeform, Wolf Au (sort of?), fluff???, hanzo shimada - Freeform, jesse mccree - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2017-05-26
Packaged: 2018-10-07 14:24:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10362432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Hanzo Shimada had been on the run for years. He had lost track by now- it had been so long since he had last seen another human. He wasn't fully human, either. He was a werewolf, one of the last few that still existed.Jesse McCree was in a similar situation. When Jesse is wounded, however, a strange human that isn't so human after all ends up tending to him. With nowhere to go but with the stranger, their lives become twisted and bound together, without either of them knowing until it was far to late.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I have recently been getting into Overwatch (amazing game, by the way) and its characters and decided to try and write this fanfic. McHanzo is my favorite ship in Overwatch so far, and Hanzo is probably my favorite character. Anywho, enjoy the first chapter!

Hanzo Shimada ran through the forest, his black hair whipping behind him. Behind him, sounds of howling could be heard. He sped his pace up, trying to lose the pursuing wolves chasing him through the forest. He knew he shouldn't have gone into the cave- how could he have been so stupid?

He silently cursed himself as he ran. He could worry about his stupidity later, right now he needed to make sure he didn't get torn apart by the pack of wolves currently chasing him. He banked left sharply, pushing through the trees and brush as he crashed through the undergrowth. He cursed himself as his hand caught on a sharp thorn, tearing his hand open. His human form, although stronger and faster than a regular humans, wasn't the best for fleeing. He didn't have the time to shift, not unless he wanted to be eaten alive. Still, he wished he had thought about the fact of shifter before entering the cave. 

He had  _thought_ that the cave was abandoned. It seemed it, and though he had superhuman smell, his human nose wasn't as strong as his werewolf form one. He hadn't scented the pups in the back of the cave, huddled together, until it was too late. Wolves had charged at him from left and right. He couldn't blame them, they were only trying to protect their pups. He was the intruder, after all. It was a miracle he had managed to escape the cave, and even more of a miracle he had survived this long in his human form while running. 

He couldn't last much longer, though. His human form couldn't run for nearly as long as his werewolf one. His lungs were starting to ache from the cold winter air, and his legs felt like gelatin beneath him. He needed to find some way to lose the wolves chasing him.

Thinking fast, he used his momentum he'd gained from running, and threw himself at the nearest tree. Hoisting himself onto the lowest branch, he quickly found a grip on another branch and pulled himself up, narrowly missing getting his ankle caught in the maw of a wolf as he did so. He lifted himself up onto the next branch, and then the next, climbing as quickly as he could, being as careful as he dared. Soon, he was at the top of the tree. Poking his head out of the branches, he watched as the sun set over the mountain pass. He frowned, catching his breath. Each breath he released sent cold air into the world, and he watched as his breath formed a tiny cloud. 

Below him, the wolves circled, growling low and deep. He didn't think they would stay for long- they did have pups in that cave, theres no way they would just leave them- so he settled in to relax. Leaning his back against the tree trunk, he crossed on leg over the other. He sat with his bow in his lap, running his fingers over the intricate design. He knew he needed to sleep, but he didn't feel completely safe to do so with the wolves below, circling the tree, waiting. So he sat in the tree, watching as the sun set and the forest grew dark.

It was nearly dawn before the wolves had finally given up. Hanzo was leaning back against the tree, his eyes partly closed, hands clasped over his stomach, when he heard the sounds of the retreating paw-steps. Sighing in relief, he waited until he could no longer hear the sounds of the wolves, and, very slowly and tiredly, climbed down from the tree. He looked around him, trying to get his bearings as he started to walk. He realized he was going north, towards the mountain pass. He decided to keep heading that direction, if only because he could easily get to a river that way. 

His human form was tired, exhausted even, and he knew he needed to find a place to rest soon. He could just shift into his other form, his wolf form, but he knew that shifting would take a lot of his energy, and he didn't really want to deal with that at the moment.

So he kept walking, his bow over his back, a quiver full of arrows strapped to him. He had various knives and such hidden in his boots and his jacket, but he usually didn't need them. He only really needed his bow, and that was only in his human form. His wolf form needed nothing but it's teeth and claws. 

He had been walking for what seemed like hours, but he knew it had only been a little while, when movement in the tree line caught his eye. He stopped moving, instantly reaching for his bow. One hand clasped the bow firmly, the other, reaching for an arrow. He watched, patiently waiting to see what would appear. He hoped it wasn't the wolves again, because his human form couldn't handle running like that again. And he was fairly certain the wolves wouldn't fall for the tree trick again. 

Hanzo waited, not even daring to breath to loudly for fear he might make to sudden of a noise. He watched the tree line all around him, sweeping his gaze over various bushes and rocks covered in snow. Nothing happened, and then-

There. In the trees, he could just make out a large animal. It was brown, and covered in fur. A brown bear maybe? He grabbed an arrow and got it ready, but didn't raise his bow. If the creature was non-threatening, he certainly didn't want to make it think  _he_ was a threat. He waited, not moving, for the other creature to do something. 

After several moments had gone by, the creature slowly started to move closer to him. He tensed, waiting, watching, and sent a silent prayer to whatever god was listening. 

Hanzo's breath caught in his throat. It was a wolf, a fairly large one at that. The wolf's fur was matted, covered in blood and what appeared to be some other substance he couldn't quite place, and wasn't sure he wanted to. The wolf seemed to be injured, leaning it's wait on it's left side. Hanzo flicked his gaze towards the wolf's paws, and noticed one of it's right legs had blood oozing from between the fur. He realized with a jolt that the wolf had a gun shot wound in it's leg. 

The wolf was growling, it's head low to the ground, brown eyes assessing whether or not he was a threat. Hanzo didn't move, didn't breathe, as he waited. Slowly, the wolf walked towards him. It sniffed him, once, twice, and then a third time. After the third time, it turned away and walked back towards the tree line. Hanzo was confused, but grateful, at the fact that the wolf hadn't just attacked him. He lowered his bow, his hands falling to his sides. The wolf sat down, licking its wounds gently, and Hanzo decided he would sit as well. 

When he did so, however, the wolf looked up at him. He stared into the wolf's gaze, holding it, not daring to look away. After many heartbeats had gone by, the other wolf stood. 

Hanzo's breath seemed to have left his body as he took in the sight before him. A man was standing in the place the wolf had previously been sitting, with blood on his clothes and a wound in his leg. The man faltered slightly, and Hanzo quickly stood. He jumped forward quickly as the other man fell, and Hanzo caught him just before he hit the ground.

"McRee," the other man said, his brown eyes filled with pain. Hanzo looked down at the man, confused. This was a fellow werewolf. Hanzo hadn't seen one in years, not since his little brother had revealed to him that he was a werewolf as well. They had both been exiled as a result.

"What?" Hanzo said, staring down at the injured man.

"My name," the brown haired man said, letting out wheezing breaths in-between words. "is McRee. Jesse McRee." 

Hanzo didn't know what to think. This man was clearly injured, and had most likely lost a lot of blood. Not to mention shifting between forms.  _That_ alone was a task, much less doing it while injured. Hanzo gently set the man down on the snow covered ground before moving around him, trying to get a look at his injuries. The other man had passed out he realized, and he shook his head. Transforming was not the smartest idea, though he supposed the other man knew that.

He found the source of most of the bleeding, the bullet wound in his leg. It was dead center in his calf, and Hanzo frowned a bit. The bullet must have still been in there. He slowly pulled back the material of the mans pants, and took out his knife. He would need to get the bullet out, and the only way to do that was with a knife. Thankfully, werewolves healed quickly, so the other man shouldn't be too upset with the matter.

Steadying himself for the task, Hanzo set to work.

It took him two hours to properly get the bullet out. It had lodged itself into the brown-haired man's bone, and Hanzo had had a hell of a time trying to get it out. He was now leaning back against a rock, poking a stick at a small fire he had managed to start, while the other man slept beside him. Shifting took a lot out of a person, so he didn't blame the other man for sleeping. Especially after being injured. 

Hanzo had been trying to figure out what had happened. He had had a bullet in his leg, which could only mean he had been around other humans. But Hanzo hadn't seen other humans around these parts in years. They had all cleared out after a forest fire had destroyed most of the place. Over time the forest had grown back, and animals had returned, but humans still didn't come around here. Especially in the winter.

So how the hell this other werewolf had managed to get a bullet lodged into his leg was beyond anything Hanzo could think of. He still couldn't believe there was another werewolf sitting right beside him. Sure, he had known there were others out there, but he hadn't really thought much about the fact that there were others near where he was.

The brown haired man stirred beside him, and Hanzo quickly shut down his thoughts as he turned his attention to the other man.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, as the other man sat up slowly. He yawned, leaning back against the rocks, before answering; "I'm good. A little sleep always helps after a hard shift," Hanzo snorted.

"You had a bullet in your leg," Hanzo stated, turning to look back at the fire. The other man chuckled.

"So I did. Though, it seems you had done a mighty fine job of getting it out," the other mans voice was low, husky, almost. It had a accent to it, one that Hanzo didn't quite recognize. 

"Thanks for that, partner. I really needed some rest," the brown-haired man said. Hanzo turned to look at the man.

"What happened?" he asked. He couldn't help it, the thought had been itching in the back of his mind for hours. The other werewolf just stared at him, considering. Finally, he sighed, and looked up at the starry sky.

"I had stumbled across some hunters in the woods, who weren't to pleased to see a massive wolf around their campsite," Hanzo nodded. Understandable, most humans were afraid of wolves, after all. "they chased me, and shot at me. One of the fuckers actually managed to hit me." Hanzo looked over at the other man, studying his face. His jawline was sharp, so sharp he was sure it would put his many knives to shame. He had a slight beard on his face, not one of those big, bushy ones that some people had, but a more decent one. 

"So you managed to escape, then." Hanzo deadpanned. Jesse McRee chuckled.

"Indeed I did, partner. Thanks, by the way. For the whole leg thing. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, probably just cut it off or somethin'." Hanzo raised an eyebrow at the man, but didn't say anything.

"Anyways, I think I'm going to get some more shut eye, if you don't mind. Shifting certainly does take a lot out of ya'. You should sleep too, you look like you need it." Jesse grinned at Hanzo, and he couldn't help but give a small smirk back. 

Hanzo let the fire burn, not really all that concerned with it since it was winter, and lied down. He stared up at the stars, the open sky stretching far beyond the canopy of trees above them. He thought about the other werewolf beside him, now fast asleep, snoring softly. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it all.

Maybe tomorrow he would wake up and it would all have been a dream.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse and Hanzo delve a little deeper into each others reasons for being out in the woods, and Hanzo finds himself getting into some trouble. All because of McRee, of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit people, 93 hits already? I posted the first chapter not even 12 hours ago. That's insane! Thank you. Enjoy the second chapter!

Jesse McRee had no idea what to make of the man sitting across from him, tending to the fire. He had just woken up, and the other man hadn't said one word to him. He wasn't sure if he should be disappointed or not.

Jesse frowned, thinking back on the previous day. He really shouldn't have gotten that close to the humans, but he had decided to anyways. He couldn't help it. There was a little girl screaming. He had to see what was going on.

"Did you sleep alright?" the other man asked, not looking up from the fire. Jesse raised an eyebrow. He shifted, readjusting his position so that he was more comfortable.

"Yeah, what 'bout you?" he said. The other man didn't answer for a moment, his gaze fixed on the fire. After several heartbeats later, he looked up at Jesse, a slight frown on his face. He shrugged. Jesse resisted the urge to smile. The black haired man certainly wasn't one for words, he realized. Didn't matter to him, he wasn't that big on socializing either. He could handle a little while, but eventually he became tired just wanted to retreat into hisself. He watched the other man as he poured water onto the fire, putting it out completely before standing. He looked down at Jesse.

"We should keep moving. There are wolves around here, and they have plenty of pups they are trying to keep safe," he turned away from Jesse, and started walking towards the tree line.

"Alright," Jesse said, standing. He followed the man into the woods. He still didn't know who this man was. He hadn't asked for a name. He figured he was safe, though, considering he could have killed him the night before, when he had passed out. He hadn't freaked out when he had shifted, though, which was surprising. Most grown men were afraid of werewolves, especially when alone in the woods like this. 

Jesse didn't really entertain the thought to much, shoving it aside in his head. He focused on the man walking in front of him instead, wondering who he was, and why he was out here.

"So you know my name," Jesse started. "but I don't know yours." the other man didn't respond, instead, he kept his eyes forward, looking into the trees as though he was searching for something. 

After a while, Jesse decided he shouldn't push it. Maybe he was sensitive on the topic? Whatever the reason, Jesse knew when someone wanted to be left alone, and this man certainly did. 

Jesse still wasn't sure what had compelled  _him_ to tell the stranger his name. Maybe it was the heat of the moment, or just some strange force that had whispered in his ear to do it. He didn't know, and didn't really care. It had already happened, there was no point in worrying about it now. 

They walked through the woods, neither of them speaking, for hours. By the time they had finally stopped to rest, he was all ready to settle down for the night. But unfortunately for him, fate had other ideas.

"My name is Hanzo." the words were quiet, so quiet he wasn't entirely certain he had heard them. The other man had stopped just on top of a small hill, the setting sun putting an eerie glow around him, making him look like some sort of angel. His black hair blew gently in the slight breeze, and Jesse had to remind himself to stop staring at the man before things became weird.

Who was he kidding, things were weird the moment he had shifted in front of the guy. At this rate, Jesse was excelling at being weird.

"Nice name." was all Jesse could say, as he looked the other man up and down. He was well built, like a soldier would be. He wondered once again where the man had come from, but chose not to ask. Not right now, anyway. 

"We should set up camp here for the night, get some sleep. We can head out again at dawn," Hanzo started to gather some wood for a fire. It wasn't until he heard his stomach protesting that he realized he was hungry, and would need sustenance soon. Because he was a werewolf, he could go days without food, but eventually would need to eat  _something,_ or else he would suffer.

"Erm," he said, not sure how to say what it was he wanted to say. Hanzo looked up at him from his place on the ground, clearing away snow for a fire pit.

"I uh, I need to get some uh..." Jesse trailed off, looking down at the ground. He wasn't familiar with talking to someone about his needs, much less a human. 

"Do what you need to do." was all Hanzo said, 

"Right. I'll uh...I'll go behind this rock, then." Jesse walked over to the outcropping of rocks, frowning. Since when was he so awkward? He shook it off, and got ready to shift.

Soon, his teeth became elongegated, his fingernails turning to claws, his body twisting and bones snapping as he shifted. It had hurt for a long time, shifting. It wasn't an easy thing to do, or to master. But after years training, he finally learned. He could shift on command now, whenever he wanted. Not that it did him much good, he usually spent his time in his wolf form. It was just easier. 

He let out a low howl as his transformation completed, and came out from behind the rocks. Hanzo looked up, watching him. It was strange, being this close to a human in this form and not seeing any fear in his eyes. He nodded at the man, and took off into the woods. 

He adored running in this form. It was as though nothing could catch him. He felt invincible, though he knew better than to assume that, if last nights events was any indication.

He stopped after a while, letting his jaw fall open, scenting the air. A few miles away, a herd of deer were roaming through the woods, unbeknownst to them that a werewolf was stalking them through the forest. Jesse took off in that direction, letting his hearing and nose lead him to the deer. 

He stalked them thoroughly through the trees, waiting for one to break off, waiting to go in for the kill. After many miles had been covered, finally, a large buck walked away from the group, heading towards some bushes a little ways farther into the woods. He waited, slinking low through the trees as the buck casually trotted over to the small bushes.

He launched himself at the buck, and within seconds it was dead. He let out a loud howl, and the others took off. He looked down at his kill. The buck was large, which was good. He immediately started eating, and within minutes there wasn't much left of the buck. He decided he should bring back something for the human, so he gathered some meat up and carried it in his maw, heading back towards the campsite.

By the time Jesse had returned, there was a fire going, and Hanzo was leaning back against a tree trunk, fiddling with his bow. Jesse dropped the meat at his feet before stalking towards the outcropping of rocks. He quickly shifted back to his human form, now full, but so, so tired. Lazily, he walked back out from behind the rocks and settled down across from Hanzo.

"Its been a long time since I had seen a werewolf," the black haired man stated, not looking up from his bow in his hands. Jesse didn't respond, instead, he looked around the campsite. The stars were out in full force tonight, brighter than he had seen them in weeks. He supposed that was a good sign, that the weather would be clearing soon. He was thankful for that, at least.

"Tell me," Hanzo went on, still not looking up at the brown-haired man. "how is it, exactly, that you came to discover your abilities?"  _Abilities._ Jesse hadn't heard anyone talk about his shifting like that before. Usually when someone would comment on it, they would always call it his 'curse'. He supposed it was, in a way. One he had no control over. He had gotten used to it by now, though. 

"I was ten," Jesse said, now staring into the flames before him. He could of sworn that his past, ten year old self, was somehow formed into the flames, dancing about like he used to with his sister.

"It was a full moon, and me and my sister were out in the fields behind our home. We were playing tag, and I was chasing her. All of a sudden, I felt this horrible pain shoot throughout my body," Jesse swallowed. He hadn't even told anyone this story, and didn't particularly want to. He wasn't sure why he was telling this stranger, this  _human_ , but there he was, sitting across from him in the dead of night, telling this strange black haired stranger his life story.

"I had shifted, and couldn't control my wolf form. I ended up chasing her down. The scream that came out of her mouth..." Jesse stopped, remembering the high-pitched scream his sister had let out that night as though it was right beside him, happening all over again. 

"And...when I had caught up to her..." he couldn't bring himself to continue. His hands shook, and he felt his throat go dry, like sandpaper. Hanzo looked up at him then, a look of pure sympathy on the mans face. Jesse stiffened. He had never, not once, seen  _anyone_ look at him that way. Not like that, not with...sympathy. He wasn't even sure when the last time anyone had looked at him at all, really. It had been years.

Several moments went by, slowly ticking, and every minute dragged Jesse further into his memories, dragging him deeper and deeper until all he could hear was his little sisters screams in that field all those years ago.

"You should get some sleep," Hanzo said, re-situating himself so he was in a lying down position. "You'll need it after shifting for that long." Jesse snorted, but didn't argue. He could go days in his wolf form, no problem. But he didn't tell the other man that. Instead, he lied down, staring up at the sky. He sent a silent prayer to whatever god was listening, that his sister was okay, in whatever Heaven she was in.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo and Jesse travel to a village, where they have a run-in with someone completely unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it actually took me way longer to write this chapter than I thought, I originally planned to have a chapter out every day, but school is a thing so it didn't really work out that way. But here this one is! Please enjoy!

Hanzo watched the sky with cold eyes as birds flew overhead, speaking to each other in a language he couldn't understand. Beside him, Jesse sat on the rocky cliff overlooking the large mountain pass they were about to travel through.

"You know," began Jesse, "we could always just stay here. I don't see the point in traveling through the mountains when it's perfectly safe over here." Hanzo turned his head to look at the brown-haired werewolf. He still hadn't revealed that he, as well, was a werewolf. He wasn't sure if he would. Jesse seemed nice, but Hanzo wasn't one for taking chances. Not with strangers he just met in the woods, at least.

"I need to get to the other side of the mountains," he said, looking down the cliff they were currently standing on and into the forest below. It was a sheer drop, one that if he were to try to scale down, he would most likely perish. He didn't feel particularly suicidal today.

"Any particular reason why?" Jesse stood, turning so that he faced the pass. Hanzo didn't answer. He trusted this man, to an extent. He knew what werewolves were like, being one himself. The moment they didn't need you anymore, or they weren't interested, you were dead where you stood. But, Hanzo didn't really pin Jesse as the type of werewolf to do that. Not yet, at least.

"I just do," was the only reply he gave the werewolf, before turning and walking off to find a safer route down. Jesse followed, and Hanzo tried not to notice the looks of curiosity that the other man gave him. They walked around for a while, before coming upon some rocks that almost formed a staircase down into the pass.

"This way," he said, starting the decent to the bottom of the pass. Jesse followed, and soon enough, the two found themselves at the bottom of the mountain pass. Jesse whistled.

"You know," he started, "we could make a pit stop at the next town, grab some supplies." Hanzo snorted.

"And get shot into oblivion? No thanks," he started walking away when he realized Jesse wasn't following him. He turned to look at the brown haired man, a frown on his face. 

"Coming?" he asked, but the werewolf just stood there, staring at him with narrowed eyes. Hanzo raised an eyebrow.

"Something the matter, werewolf?" he taunted. He wasn't sure what made him do it, but he did. 

"Are you human?" the question came so suddenly, Hanzo wasn't ready for it. He blinked in surprise. The only emotion he would show.

"Why do you ask?" he ask cooly, making a note to check all possible escape routes before things went south. Jesse just stared at him, as though he was sizing up his next victim.

"You walk faster than a human. And you are an extremely great hunter," the brown haired man said, walking closer to the black haired man. Hanzo quickly thought threw his options, thinking.

"Maybe I'm just good at it," he replied calmly. Jesse snorted. "Good at it my ass," he said, before he launched at the black haired man.

The shift happened before he could realize it, and then there he was, staring at the brown werewolf currently growling at him. He bared his teeth, still thinking on ways out of there without a fight breaking out. The last thing he needed was to get into a territorial dispute with another werewolf. 

Jesse circled him, snarling softly. Hanzo waited for what he would do, calculating every move the brown wolf made. And then suddenly, Jesse was human again, staring down at him with a large smile on his face. Hanzo frowned (or as best as he could in his wolf form), and shifted back into his human form again.

"I knew you weren't human. Couldn't be, what with all the sniffing and such." the brown haired man said, a wide grin on his tan face. Hanzo just glared at him, at a loss for words.

"So what do you say, wolfie? Should we keep moving?" Hanzo raised an eyebrow at Jesse, but didn't bother to answer as he stalked off into the forest, leaving Jesse to himself in the mountain pass entrance.

 

After several hours of walking through the dense forest of the pass, they finally reached the other side. Jesse stood beside him, overlooking the large village at the bottom of the pass. Hanzo frowned, watching as people milled about in the village, smiling and happy. 

"So, why are we here again?" Jesse asked, turning to look at him. Hanzo just walked forward, down the large hill and towards the village. 

People gave them looks as they walked into the village, but no one stopped them. He walked over to a market stand and, fishing some gold out of his pocket, payed for some food. Jesse whistled.

"If I had known you had gold on ya', I would of taken it to the nearest village and gotten some better food." he said, once they were out of earshot of anyone. Hanzo shrugged.

"I only have a little," he said, showing the other werewolf the small amount of gold he had 'acquired' from some hunters a few weeks back. He had been saving it for...other things. But fate, it seemed, had other ideas.

"Alright, so now what? We made it here, now where are we going?" Jesse asked him, falling into place beside him. He didn't look at the werewolf as he said; "We are going to the village just through the forest." 

"Alright," Jesse said. Hanzo had the feeling he had something he wanted to say, or ask, but didn't. Hanzo was glad for that, at least, as he preferred silence to the talkative male beside him.

 

"Do you have a mate?" Jesse asked him, as he watched out the window as villagers strolled passed, completely oblivious to the two werewolves in the inn.

"No." Hanzo said coldly. He hadn't intended for it to be cold, but then again, the subject was always sensitive for him. He had a mate, a long time ago, but they were gone now.

"Me neither," the werewolf behind him replied. He laid back on the large bed, frowning at the ceiling.

"You can have the bed," Hanzo said, walking over to the corner of the room farthest from the door or windows and sitting down.

"Are you sure?" Jesse asked him, eyebrows raised. Hanzo nodded. He didn't mind, really. He didn't care either way.

"Alright, if you say so," Jesse settled down then, and soon enough, the room was filled with the snores of the other werewolf as he slept. Hanzo stared awake at the ceiling, thinking. If Jesse found out who it was he was looking for, he would think he was crazy. But that didn't matter much to Hanzo, nothing did anymore. Except for one thing.

Soon enough, he was able to settle down and shut his eyes. He was just about to fall asleep, when the sound of the door opening caused him to go on high alert. Quiet footsteps could be heard as someone made their way over to the corner where Hanzo was. He waited, barely even breathing, for the mysterious person to make a move.

He felt a hand grab his shoulder, and he immediatly held a dagger to the assailant's throat, not bothering to be subtle about it.

"Who are you?" he growled. It was too dark in the room to see a damned thing, and the stranger didn't appear to have brought a light. Hanzo was about to ask again when the stranger spoke;

"Your brother."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo's past catches up to him, and he's not to happy about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not being able to update as often as I wanted, I originally planned on updating this at least once a day, but I'm currently failing a class and school comes first. So yeah. Sorry about that. Here's this chapter, that took me FOREVER to write. Enjoy!

Jesse stayed as still as he could, watching the two men stare at each other in silence. Every part of him was screaming at him to run, to get the hell out, but he didn't move. Couldn't move. He had gotten quite attached to this black haired male before him, and he felt that leaving him now would be a mistake.

Hanzo didn't move, didn't even seem to breathe, as he stared up at the green haired male before him. He seemed transfixed, as though the green haired boy had him under some sort of spell.

"Genji," Hanzo whispered, and Jesse watched in shock as he reached up to the boy, and touched his face. "is that really you?" The boy named Genji seemed to smile, though it could have been a frown, Jesse couldn't tell in the dark. His vision was superior to humans, being a werewolf, so he could see pretty well in the dark. But he couldn't seem to see as well as he should be able to. It was as though Genji was absorbing the darkness, molding it to make it thicker, so that they couldn't see. 

"Yes," the boy said. Jesse didn't dare move, for fear of what the green haired boy might do. He should have scented him before he got into the room, he realized, silently cursing himself.

"It has been many years, brother. Many years indeed," Hanzo said, standing up, very slowly. Genji didn't say anything.

"Okay," Jesse said, no longer able to contain his questions. "What the hell Hanzo?" he looked at the black haired boy. The two brothers were similiar to each other, but not quite as similar as he thought they would, being brothers. One had green hair, one had black. Quite the difference, if you ask him.

"Hanzo, you didn't tell me you had made a new friend. He's rather cute," Genji said, grinning at Jesse. Jesse frowned, eyes focused on the black haired male standing at the foot of the large bed.

"And you let him have the bed, how sweet." Genji teased, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against the wall, watching the two males before him glare at each other. 

"This is my brother," Hanzo said at last, and Jesse snorted.

"Yeah, I gathered that much, thanks." he said, causing Hanzo to raise an eyebrow. 

"You didn't tell me you had a brother," he said, this time with more seriousness in his voice. Hanzo looked over at said brother, who was cleaning his nails with a knife.

"You didn't ask," the two males stared at each other some more, neither one breaking the stare. Genji rolled his eyes, deciding he had enough of it.

"Look, I really hate to break up your couples feud, but we have an issue. Hanzo, can I talk to you outside for a moment?" Genji turned away and headed out the door, presumably to wait for Hanzo in the hallway. Jesse sighed.

"Go on, your brother awaits." he said, nodding at the doorway. The scowl Hanzo had on his face as he left could have frozen hell over. Jesse ran a hand through his messy brown hair, thinking. He supposed it was fair for Hanzo not to tell him of his brother. But if Genji had come here with ill intent, and Hanzo hadn't told him, they would be pretty damn screwed right about now. Then again, he hadn't told Hanzo much about himself, either. So it was only fair. Either way, the black haired werewolf was certainly a secretive type. Jesse decided he liked that about him.

A loud crash brought Jesse back from his thoughts, and he sprang up from his seat on the bed. Before he could reach the door, however, Hanzo stormed in, angrier than a pack of wolves protecting their young. 

"What happened?" he asked Hanzo, but the other man just ignored him, going over to his spot that he was lying down at previously, and picking up his small mess.

"We're leaving," he growled, walking past Jesse and out of the door. Jesse let out a low, exasperated sigh, deciding it was better to just follow the male, rather than fight against him. Jesse wasn't really in the mood for a fight, not right now.

He caught up to Hanzo fairly easily, his strides falling into a slow walk beside him, and he shoved his hands into his jeans pockets, watching ahead of them. It was a long time before either of them spoke, and by the time they reached the forest on the other side of the town, they still hadn't spoken to each other. Jesse finally got tired of the silence, though, and his temper had run thin as well.

"What in the  _actual hell happened?_ " he said, his voice laced with venom as he did so. Hanzo whipped his head to him in surprise. He obviously hadn't expected Jesse to have an outburst like that. Good.

"Nothing." he said, regaining his composure. Jesse snorted, and he swore he saw smoke come out of his nose.

"That was a whole lot of noise for a whole lot of nothing, cowboy." he said. Hanzo just glared at him, his eyes searching the brunette's face. For a moment, Jesse could have sworn he smiled, at least a little, but it was gone before he could confirm the suspicion. 

"We need to keep moving if we are going to reach the next town by daybreak." Hanzo said finally, turning away from him. Jesse frowned.

"Alright, whatever you say partner." he sighed, following Hanzo into the forest and away from his brother.

 

Jesse couldn't stop thinking about what had happened at the inn at the last town. He knew Hanzo had a temper, and knew the man was secretive as all hell, but whatever his brother had said to him had set him off. Jesse was actually a little worried, even if he wouldn't admit it. He knew pushing the other werewolf would result in something bad, but he also didn't feel like being in danger because of Hanzo's temper. He decided he would wait for a while to ask him, and hopefully that gives Hanzo enough time to cool off, so he doesn't bite Jesse's head off. Though, Jesse thought, he would love to see the other male in his werewolf form again. It was just so... _beautiful_. His sleek black coat, dark eyes, large, powerful muscles underneath his fur. He was not the first good looking werewolf he had ever seen, but he certainly was one of the most good looking. His human form wasn't bad, either.

"Do you smell that?" Hanzo asked. Jesse stopped walking for a moment to sniff the air, and if he were in his wolf form, he would bare his teeth. 

"Humans, and a lot of them. They probably have a campsite around here somewhere." he said, coming to stand beside Hanzo. They were overlooking a cliff, and trees stretched on either side of them for miles upon miles of forest. He spotted a pillar of smoke about a mile out, mixing with the pink and orange of the evening sky. He nudged Hanzo, and Hanzo nodded to him. Before Jesse could say another word, Hanzo had shifted into his wolf form. Jesse's breath caught in his throat. The black, shiny pelt Hanzo had was illuminated by the glow of the setting sun, making his black coat look as though it were on fire. 

Jesse shook his head, transforming himself. Once he was finished, Hanzo leapt from the cliff, and Jesse followed him. They slid down the cliff face, and skidded to a stop at the bottom. They both took off in a run towards the campsite, being as quiet as they could so as to not alert the humans they were there.

They got to the campsite within minutes, being able to run much faster in their wolf forms, and they slunk through the trees, watching the humans joke around their campsites. There were four of them, all talking and laughing around the campfire, oblivious to the two werewolves in the woods, watching them. Jesse looked to Hanzo, who was about fifteen feet away, and Hanzo nodded. He was about to lunge out into the campsite when he saw someone walk out of the woods, stopping him dead in his tracks.

A green haired boy walked out of the woods, looking defeated yet happy, and sat down beside a large, dark skinned male.

"Did you find him?" the male asked. His voice was deep, and Jesse felt the sudden realization that he had heard this voice before. He knew who these people were, had been running from them for his whole life.

"Oh, I found him. He turned the offer down, but I think we might be able to convince him," Genji said to the male, yawning. "he has a friend with him. I think they're both werewolves, but I'm not certain." 

"Then we must be careful. Do you know where their heading?" another male, blonde and rather small compared to the dark skinned male, but not scrawny, said. Jesse bared his teeth, a low growl forming in the back of his throat.

"Well, I heard they were heading to the next town over," Genji stated, warming his hands on the open flames before him. Jesse looked over to where Hanzo was crouched in the trees, his eyes pinned on the green haired boy.

"Do you think you can convince him? Maybe try tomorrow?" A female asked. She had blonde hair that was cut short, and Jesse recognized her almost immediately.

"Dunno," Genji began. "why don't you ask him?" All eyes went to where Hanzo was crouched in the woods. Realizing their hiding spot was discovered, the two werewolves slowly walked out of the trees, neither one of them taking their eyes off of the group assembled before them. Jesse let out a low growl as one of the men widened their eyes at him, and he resisted the urge to snap at the male.

"Hello again, Hanzo. Long time no see," Genji said, an amused look in his dark eyes. He flicked his gaze to where Jesse stood, still in his wolf form. He smiled.

"And this must be your wolf friend. Jesse, was it? How nice of you to join us. I dare say you and Gabriel have met, no? Oh, wait. You know all of us, don't you, Jesse McCree?" Genji said, a wicked smile on his face. Hanzo let out a low warning growl, his eyes looking almost feral.

"Now now, Hanzo. We'll get to you in a little bit. Right now, I would love to catch up with your dear friend here." Genji smiled at him, but he frowned when Hanzo stepped in front of Jesse, still in wolf form.

"Why don't you two join us in human form, hm? Make things more interesting." Genji said. After a moment, Hanzo shifted, and Jesse followed suit.

"There, now don't you feel better?" Genji asked them. Jesse didn't move. Hanzo was still in front of him, and Jesse had to wonder what that meant.

"I already told you, Genji. We aren't joining you. We have our own problems to deal with," Hanzo said, his voice cold. Jesse raised an eyebrow. Join Blackwatch? That was suicide for a werewolf. But then, Jesse had to wonder how the hell Genji was in it.

"We could help you," Gabriel said, stepping up beside Genji. Jesse laughed, the sound a cool, defiant sound in the small clearing.

"Like hell you can help us. There's no help for our kind. There never was," Jesse said, amusement sparking in his eyes. "I'm with Blackbeard over here, we aren't joining you. Time to go, Hanzo." Hanzo nodded, turning around to face Jesse. Jesse tried desperately to read the others expression, but Hanzo wasn't exactly an easy person to read. 

"We'll meet again, brother. Don't think we won't." Genji called after them, as they left the small clearing and the Blackwatch team behind. 

After they were a few miles away they finally stopped for the night. Both of them sat in silence, Jesse with his back against the tree, Hanzo sitting criss-cross in front of a small fire. Jesse was going to ask him about his brother, but decided better of it, shutting his mouth before he could utter one word. He decided it was best to leave Hanzo to think. He seemed to lose his temper when asked about something before he could think about it. He stood, walking over to the fire and poking at it. He frowned at the flames, his mind swirling with thoughts. He knew he couldn't join them, not after what they had done. But at the same time, he knew how bad of an idea it was to turn down an offer made by the Blackwatch team. They were ruthless, the lot of them. And Hanzo seemed to agree on that fact.

"I'm sorry." Jesse said suddenly, surprising himself more than Hanzo.

"For?" the black-haired male said, frowning.

"I'm not sure. I just...I'm sorry," it was true, he wasn't sure why he said it. But he had, and now it was time to shut the hell up.

"I'm going to bed. G'night." he said, standing. He turned, but before he could walk back over to where he was sitting before, a hand grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around. He faced Hanzo, a frown on his face. "What?" he asked the male, searching his face for any intention of what he might do. There was nothing, so he gave up. 

"Don't ever, call me blackbeard, again." Hanzo growled, before letting go of him and settling down. Jesse blinked, taking a moment to realize what the hell had just happened, and then bent over with laughter. 

"Alright partner, I won't call you blackbeard again." he said, settling down, still laughing to himself as he lied down on the ground underneath the open sky.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo relives a memory he had tried desperately to bury deep within himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is going to be pretty sad, and possibly triggering for some of you. Please be careful reading this.

_Hanzo opened his eyes, looking around the dark room. Where was he? He didn't know, and couldn't see anything. Or smell anything, either. There was a strong odor of blood, which churned his stomach and made his eyes water. He felt a sharp pain in his side and head, indicating he had probably gotten hit by something. He tried desperately to remember what had happened before he had woken up, but couldn't remember. He slowly rose to his feet, looking around the room. No, not a room. A cabin. He was in a cabin. He could faintly make out the doorways leading to other parts of the tiny cabin, but not much else. Slowly, he went through one of the doors. Why couldn't he remember anything? He limped into a smaller room, with a bed and dresser in it. The room was clean, but the odor of blood still clung to the walls of the cabin. Hanzo heard muffled voices from down the hall, and the faint sound of a scream. A women's scream. He felt his stomach clench at the sound, and started down the hallway towards the door at the end of the tiny hallway. The voices got louder, and Hanzo heard two males, both with deep, rough voices, inside the room. Bracing himself for the worst, he opened the door._

_His breath left his body in a second. He tried to breathe, to suck air into his lungs, but for some reason, his lungs couldn't work properly. He stared straight at the women on the bed, tied up and screaming._

_"Now now little werewolf, don't scream. It will only make things worse for you." one man said, a wicked grin on his wretched face. Hanzo took a step towards the man, and, despite his injuries, felt something inside him pulling at him._

_"Grab him," came the order, so fast Hanzo didn't have time to react as someone grabbed his arms and forced him to his knees. He struggled against the grip, but it was just too strong. He couldn't get away._

_"I think," began the man not holding him down, "we should just kill the girl." his smile grew, and Hanzo felt the breath leave his body._

_"No, please." he said, his voice weak and barely audible. The men laughed._

_"Filthy werewolves don't belong in this world." the man said. He took out a gun, and aimed it straight at the women's head._

_"Any last words, darling?" he asked her. Hanzo was about to yell again when the women opened her mouth, and one word escaped her lips._

_"Hanzo." his name fell from her lips just as the man pulled the trigger, and she laid motionless on the bed, her body torn and broken. A strangled cry escaped Hanzo, and he felt hot tears fall from his eyes._

_"I say we keep this one alive, let him suffer. He'll be killed anyhow by the townsfolk when we tell them who and what he is. And that he murdered his own wife." the two men laughed, but Hanzo couldn't hear them. It seemed as though the world had stopped moving, and Hanzo could have sworn his heart had stopped beating._

_"Maria," he remembered exactly who the women was now, the name bouncing around in his head like a bouncy ball. He stared for hours at the body, not daring to move._

_And then, he finally moved. He searched the house, and found his old bow he never used anymore. He grabbed his quiver of arrows, as well. Taking one last look at the broken women he loved on the bed, he walked out of the small cabin and into the forest, leaving behind every memory he ever had there._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I know this is really short but I decided to show a little more of Hanzo's past, cause why not. Its depressing as hell though. The next chapter will be much longer, I promise! Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse and Hanzo get into a little bit of a fight, but its fine because they are smol beans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just posted Hanzo's past in a chapter as the last chapter, and now I'm going to be building off of that. Get ready for some interesting plot twists! They're coming up very soon!

Hanzo had been up for three hours now, just walking around aimlessly. He couldn't sleep, not after that horrid nightmare. So instead, he had left the camp and went walking under the stars. The sun could now be seen over the horizon, and Hanzo was heading back to the camp. If he was gone for to long, Jesse might worry. Not that Hanzo cared, he just didn't need to deal with the worrying werewolf that Jesse was at that point in time. He smelled a strange yet familiar scent, but wrote it off. He was to stressed to worry about some strange scent in the forest.

When he got back to the camp, Jesse was awake, tending to a small fire in the center. He seemed rather happy this morning, which for some reason, just made Hanzo upset. It set him on edge, and he wasn't sure why. He had a right to be happy, didn't he?

"Mornin' partner." Jesse said, but Hanzo ignored him. He threw down three dead birds he had killed and then walked over to a tree, settling down with his back against it. He started to clean his bow, ignoring the brown haired male.

"You got up early this mornin'. I was a little worried when you weren't in your spot, but I figured you could handle yourself just fine," Jesse said, still facing the fire, his back to Hanzo. Hanzo didn't respond.

"Are you deaf or somethin'?" Jesse turned to look at him now, and Hanzo met his gaze. "you seem to be in a bad mood." Hanzo snorted.

"Didn't notice," he said coldly. Jesse raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. Hanzo hadn't intended for it to come out so coldly, he just couldn't help it. That nightmare had really shaken him, and he had so many pent up emotions, he didn't know how to deal with it all.

"I'm going for a walk," he stood up, and started walking away, back towards the forest. Before he had even gotten five feet away, Jesse said something that made his shoulders tense and his heart ache.

"Who is Maria?" before Hanzo realized what he was doing, he had turned around to face the brown haired werewolf.

"Never, EVER, speak her name." he hissed. He let out a low growl, a warning. Jesse seemed to understand his meaning, but didn't back down.

"She was your mate, wasn't she?" he said. Hanzo felt as though he was getting punched in the stomach repeatedly. "you were talking in your sleep last night. Talking about her, begging for someone to not kill her," Jesse pushed, and Hanzo felt himself growing angrier by the second. 

"I told you not to talk about her." Hanzo's fists clenched and unclenched, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to punch or skin the male. He decided it didn't matter, either one would work just fine. The two men stood there in silence, neither of them speaking. Jesse stared into Hanzo's eyes, and Hanzo stared right back.

"I'm sorry. About your mate," Jesse said finally, breaking the silence. Hanzo didn't say anything. Instead, he turned away from the male, and stalked off towards the forest.

"I'm leaving. You can go wherever the hell you want, but don't you dare follow me." he growled over his shoulder. He heard Jesse mutter something to himself under his breath, but he didn't bother to stop and ask him what it was.

 

Jesse scowled after the black haired male currently walking away from him. He knew he shouldn't have mentioned his mate to him, but Jesse couldn't help himself. He had to ask. He turned away from the forest, facing the fire again. He took the birds Hanzo had killed and started to work on the feathers, so that he could cook the birds. After about five minutes of this, he heard footsteps behind him, and a small frown appeared on his lips. "Finally done pouting?" he called. A low chuckle came in return, one that Jesse recognized not as Hanzo, but as someone else.

"I would ask who you are referring to, but I don't particularly care." Genji's voice said. Jesse felt himself go rigid.

"Hanzo isn't here, and you're all alone. I guess it really is time to play, isn't it, Jesse?" Jesse stood then, turning around to face Genji, and then transformed. Hopefully, he could make this quick.

 

Hanzo stared over the table at the many patrons in the small tavern. He took another sip of his drink, a small glass of ale, and then set it back down on the worn wooden table he was currently seated at. The tavern was busy, and Hanzo could smell the alcohol on the other patrons breath, even though he was seated far away from them. Perks of being a werewolf, he supposed. He stirred his drink with his finger. He knew he should probably return to Jesse, he could easily track the male if he wanted. But a small part of him told him he shouldn't. He knew the male would be pissed, but at the same time, Hanzo was so used to his company he felt strange without it. He had been alone for so many years, and now, this brown haired werewolf came crashing into his life, and it all seemed so strange. He didn't know what to think of it all.

"Hanzo." a deep, male voice said from behind him. He didn't turn around, instead, a small smirk appeared on his lips.

"Genji." he said, by way of greeting. The table shifted as Genji took a seat across from, a wide grin on the males face.

"How are you, brother?" Genji asked him. Hanzo didn't reply. He watched his brother, who he had previously thought dead only days before, and frowned. 

"Not much for talking, huh? You always were the cold, quiet one." Genji leaned back in his seat, the old wooden chair emitting an odd creaking sound as he did so.

"I've always been the smarter one, Genji." Hanzo replied. Genji just grinned more, seemingly not to take offense to Hanzo's comment. The two brothers stared at each other, and Hanzo tried to read his brothers facial expressions. After a couple moments, he gave up. 

"Why are you here?" he asked Genji. Genji just smiled wider, and took a sip of his own beer, staring at Hanzo over the rim of the glass.

"Oh, I just thought you would like to know what happened to your, how shall I say this?  _Friend_." Hanzo's blood ran cold, but he forced himself to stay calm as he said; 

"What did you do?" Genji took another long, long sip from his drink. 

"Oh, you know. Just brought him back to headquarters. He's quite the fighter, that one. I can see why you two get along," Genji chuckled, but the laughter didn't reach his eyes.

"I told you you would join us," he said, "even if I have to force it on you." Hanzo stood then, his chair flying backwards, screeching loudly across the beaten wooden floorboards. He turned away from the table, leaving a smirking Genji behind.

 

The night air was cold, but Hanzo didn't pay it any attention as he stalked through the streets of the small town he had decided to stay at for the night. Inside his head, a fierce battle was going on. He knew Jesse could handle himself. And after this morning, he wasn't sure how he felt about the male. But at the same time, Hanzo also knew he felt  _something_ for him. What that was, however, was another story entirely. 

People stared as he walked past. They weren't used to strangers in this town, especially not ones who carried a weapon with them every where they went. Hanzo paid a young stable boy, and walked up to a horse in one of the stables. 

"He doesn't like people," the boy said, a slight frown on his face. Hanzo ignored him, and climbed onto the horses back. He grabbed the reins, and they were off. Hanzo left the town, and his asshat of a brother, behind. His only focus now was on a certain brown haired werewolf.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo goes to get Jesse back, though he's unsure why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been meaning to update this, but haven't had time. So sorry for the wait!

Hanzo sat alone in the bushes, the moonlight his only guide as he watched the men below. They were pacing back and forth in front of a large black building, occasionally exchanging conversation, but quickly resuming their pacing. He had been watching them since early this morning, and he had learned much from doing so. The guards switched out at dawn, and it took around five minutes for the next couple to arrive, so in that time span, he would have to get inside. There were a few guards stationed on top of watch towers, but he could easily take them out with an arrow. His only problem was getting in and out in time for them to not raise the alarm. If the alarm was raised, he would be hard-pressed to get out, especially if he had Jesse with him. 

Hanzo frowned. This would be difficult, but not impossible. He was determined to get Jesse out of there, one way or another. He stood, stretching as his aching and cramped muscles strained. He went back to the small clearing he had made camp in, only a mile from the base. Once he got Jesse out, they would need to flee, but if they were lucky, they could make it back here in time. If not, Hanzo would figure something else out. He only hoped he wasn't to late, and that Jesse wasn't dead. 

He decided to sleep, at least for a little while, so that he could be rested for his mission tomorrow. Leaning with his back against a rock, he shut his eyes.

When he awoke, it was a couple hours before dawn, the light just barely reaching the tips of the trees. He stretched out his legs, then arms, slowly regaining awareness. Once he was fully awake and ready, he packed his things, leaving the items that would most slow him down behind. He strapped his bow to his back, as well as his quiver of arrows, and hooked a dagger at his belt as well, just in case. When he was ready, he ate a loaf of bread and some cheese, as his appetite betrayed him.

When he finished eating, he double-checked he was ready, before setting out to get his friend back. 

He crouched low in the grass, watching the guards below. It was just nearing dawn, the grayish-pink light casting the early morning shadows across the building. He waited for the guard to change, tension lining his body.

Finally, he watched as the two guards moved, entering the building. He waited a few moments and, when they did not return, emerged from his hiding spot. He quickly scaled the length of the first watch tower, taking out the guard with a simple, swift motion, snapping his neck. Next he climbed on the roof of the building, running as low to the ground as possible, to avoid being seen. He snuck up behind the second guard, but as he was about to take him out, someone shouted from the third tower. Cursing, Hanzo quickly grabbed the man and wrapped his arm around his neck, holding him in a chokehold as he threw his dagger at the third guard. Both died, and, satisfied, he crept along the building's roof again, and retrieved the dagger from the man he had slain. He jumped from the roof and landed in front of the doors. He had minutes, if that, to get Jesse before the bodies were discovered. He slipped inside the building, careful not to alert the people there of his presence, and made his way towards where he thought they were holding Jesse.

As he crept around a corner, two men approached. He quickly hid behind a wall, waiting for the men to approach. He heard them talking and, straining his ears, attempted to hear what they were saying.

"I heard they captured that Jesse fellow," said one.

"They did, I think they want him to join us." Hanzo heard one of them snort.

"Huh. I would be interested in seeing this werewolf for myself, maybe pay him a visit." said the first man.

"Mmm. Well, I heard they're keeping him in the cells on the lower levels, if you want to go see him so badly," said the second. Hanzo quietly slipped into the shadows as he waited for the men to go past. Once he was certain they were gone, he quickly searched for a stairwell.

Finding one, he quietly walked down it, being careful to avoid being seen by guards or just people in general. If he was spotted, it would not end well for anyone. Least of all them.

He found a sign that read  **Lower Levels Below** on it in big, inky-black lettering, and followed the direction of the arrow painted on the sign.

He soon found the cells, though most were empty. Some had what appeared to be young men, no older than 20. He felt bad for them- they all appeared to be injured in some way or another. 

Hanzo shook himself, clearing his head of the thoughts rolling around in his brain. He had more important things to do, he couldn't worry about these people.

It took two minutes for him to find the cell with Jesse in it, and another 30 seconds to get the door open.

"How," started the brown-haired man, "did you find me?" Hanzo gave the other man a small smile.

"You forget, McCree, whom you are speaking to," Jesse snorted, but didn't say anything. 

The two werewolves were silent as they walked down the row of cells, neither one of them wanting to alert a guard. 

As they reached the top of the first stairwell, a bright red light flashed and a loud siren went off.

"Shit," Hanzo cursed, looking around. He heard the footsteps of approaching guards, from above and below.

"We're cornered." Jesse said. Though he tried not to show it, Hanzo could tell Jesse was nervous. He cast anxious glances around them, waiting for a guard to appear. Hanzo frowned. He wouldn't be captured. Not now, not ever. He's escaped before- he can do it again.

"Come on," he charged up a stairwell, Jesse close behind him, and they burst through two metal doors and came to a screeching halt as they were surrounded by four soldiers.

"Now what?" Jesse asked under his breath, as Hanzo looked around.

"Drop your weapons," instructed the guards, all of which were inching closer. Hanzo, thinking quickly, lunged at one guard, instantly snapping his neck with a quick movement. He ducked as another guard swung at his head, and grabbed the guard's arm, twisting it behind their back and throwing crashing into the doors. He spun around just in time to see Jesse on the ground, exchanging blows with a guard. Two were dead, two remained. Hanzo kicked the guard off of Jesse, and helped the other man up off of the floor. The two guards that remained charged at them, and Hanzo quickly unsheathed his dagger and stabbed the guard closest to him, letting him drop. The final guard, realizing he was outnumbered, ran off. Hanzo grabbed his bow and knocked an arrow, letting the arrow fly. The last guard hit the tiled floor with a loud 'thunk', and Hanzo turned to Jesse. 

He seemed rather unharmed, aside from a small cut on his shoulder, that was bleeding onto his shirt. 

"Are you alright?" Jesse asked Hanzo, and Hanzo gave him a stiff nod in return. "What now?"

Hanzo studied the other male, calculating. He couldn't figure out why in the world this man, the shaggy, brown haired werewolf, meant so much to him. 

"We leave." was his reply as he stalked off down the hallway, sidestepping the fallen guards.

 

They made an escape out of a side entrance, one Hanzo hadn't realized existed until then. They ran into the forest, careful not to be seen, and hid in the clearing Hanzo had found earlier. Once they were sure they weren't being followed, Hanzo turned to look at Jesse again.

Even though his shirt was torn a little from where the guard had cut him, and he desperately needed a bath, the other male looked rather unharmed and alright. Hanzo wasn't sure why that was such a relief.

"Well," Jesse said, snapping Hanzo out of his thoughts, "thank you. For..saving me. I reckon' I woulda' been dead or worse by now if you hadn't come along." Hanzo just nodded. He was never good with expressing his feelings, or talking to people in general.

"I'm going to sleep, if you don't mind. I'm rather tired," Hanzo pretended not to watch as Jesse took off his shirt, inspecting the wound on his shoulder. He must have deemed it unthreatening, because he laid down in the and shut his eyes, letting out a tired sigh. Hanzo decided it best one of them stay awake, to keep watch. He settled with his back against a tree, his bow propped in his lap and quiver of arrows set beside him in the grass. He watched the forest as the sun went down, listening intently for any sounds of a threat. 

His thoughts soon wandered back to the brown werewolf. He enjoyed the other males company, much more than he ever expected to. He was calming to Hanzo, he made him feel safe.

Hanzo frowned. Safe was bad. Safe meant he was comfortable, and if he was comfortable, that meant nothing good would happen. 

Staring at the setting sun over the treetops, he made a pact with himself that he wouldn't allow himself to be to close with the male, for both of their sakes. His mind wandered back to the dream he had had, and felt his stomach clench at the memory. No, it was better if he wasn't attached. Making the decision in his head, he decided that when morning came, he would bid the brown haired werewolf goodbye, and be on his way. It was better that way.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse wakes up the following morning completely alone in the clearing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've found that I do a lot of writing during my classes, instead of when I actually have free time. I SHOULD be doing schoolwork during those class times, but no, I'm writing gay fanfiction. No wonder I'm failing my math class lmao.

Jesse awoke with a start. Sweat was dripping down the werewolf's face as he sat up. 

Something was wrong.

He was alone in the clearing, and by the way the sun was angled in the sky, it was probably a quarter past noon. He blinked at the blinding light, shielding his eyes with his hand as he looked around.

There was a small leather bag towards the edge of the clearing, with a note attached to it. Jesse slowly got up, his body aching in complaint at the movement, and half-blindly walked to the bag. Grabbing the note off of the bag he opened the bag to see it's contents. He wasn't surprised to see that there was a change of clothes, some apples, what appeared to be some stray coins at the bottom, and various other things Jesse didn't want to look at right then. He turned his attention to the note he held in his hand.

The note itself was folded neatly, his name written on the front. He opened the note, taking a deep breath and steeling himself.

The lettering was careful, precise, and the neatest handwriting Jesse had ever seen. It looked as though someone had spent hours piecing together each individual letter to create the words written on the paper. Holding it carefully in his hands, Jesse began to read:

_Jesse,_

_It has been a pleasure to travel with you. You were not what I expected you to be, least of all a werewolf._  
I knew that the moment I had rescued you, I wanted to stay with you. Its part of why I came after you in the first place.  
I wanted to apologize for what I said, that day you were kidnapped. I didn't mean to storm off, or to cause your capture.

Jesse let out a heavy sigh, running a hand over his face. He continued reading, though now more curious as to what else the note would reveal.

_I want you to know, Jesse, that I had meant to tell you in person. I wanted to. But I simply couldn't.  
_ _I've never been good at talking about my feelings, Jesse. Not even with my brother.  
_ _I always thought it was my duty to hide my burdens from others, ever since I was a boy.  
_ _So you can imagine how I felt, when you brought up her._  
Jesse. I don't know how to explain, but I think by now you already know.   
Does it really need to be said?   
Don't come looking for me, Jesse. I will have been far gone by the time you read this.  
I wish you the best of all the moons and stars, and that your feet carry you swiftly through the rivers of life.  
  


Jesse sat for what felt like days, re-reading the letter and then re-reading again, refusing to accept the words written on the page. The sun had far been set, and yet, he still hadn't moved. 

His emotions felt frozen, it was as if they couldn't exist properly without the other werewolf around. Jesse felt nothing and yet everything. All of his confused and desperate emotions and feelings he had felt towards Hanzo these past few days had all suddenly converged into one, and he was being overtaken by it.

Finally, he folded the letter neatly and tucked it into his shirt pocket. He stared up at the open sky, stars glittering against a dark background, as he felt a familiar cold, steel pit in his stomach. It was then, he decided that he  _would_ go after Hanzo, and he  _would_ find him, no matter how long it took. And when he did, when he found the other werewolf, he would kick his ass for leaving. 

 

\---

 

Hanzo stared out at the open sea, ignoring the familiar ache in his chest. He had grown accustomed to it over these past few days.

He sighed. Its been days, two to be exact, since he had left Jesse in the clearing. He knew by now the other werewolf had probably moved on, traveling from place to place, unaware of how much Hanzo was hurting without his presence. 

Hanzo missed him, his touch, his scent, the clever remarks he would say under his breath, everything. It was as though his very lungs screamed for him each time he took a breath. He wasn't sure of anything anymore, except for one thing. He had to leave. Even if it hurt him, he had too. He couldn't let what had happened with Maria. He wouldn't. 

No, it was much safer for Jesse if Hanzo was far, far away.

Hanzo followed the trail back down the mountain. He was getting nearer and nearer to his destination, the one he had been traveling to even before he met Jesse. 

As he neared the bottom of the trail, where it met a dirt road used for merchants and such, he couldn't keep his thoughts from wandering to Jesse. It would seem, he realized, that the brown haired werewolf had left a more serious mark on Hanzo than he had previously believed. Hanzo didn't know how to feel about it, didn't even want to. He just wanted to reach his destination, and then, maybe he would allow these thoughts to trouble him. Now, though, was not the time.

The sun had long set over the horizon when Hanzo reached the small village of Ellsworth. He knew the village inside and out, and every single one of it's inhabitants, even though he hadn't been here in years. 

Years. It had been years since he had been here. As he walked through the ally's in-between the houses, he caught stares of wandering villagers. He knew they recognized him, but he didn't care. He let the glares and disapproval and fear they so clearly felt as he walked by go unnoticed. He kicked open a door to a small tavern, and everyone inside turned in their seats to stare at him. He heard one person drop their glass, the only sound in the whole of the building as he ran his piercing gaze over every single person in the tavern. His mouth turned upwards in a small smile as his gaze fell on a stout man behind a bar, his blond hair tousled in a way that made him look much younger than he was. The blond man watched him as he approached, his hands frozen on the glass he had previously been cleaning.

"Where is Carvan?" Hanzo said as he neared the bar. Everyone in the room seemed to hold their breath, waiting. Hanzo didn't remove his gaze from the man, and soon, the other man squirmed uncomfortably under Hanzo's gaze. After what felt like years, the man took a shuddering breath.

"His h-house, on the m-mountain." Hanzo turned on his heel then, looking at each familiar, terrified face as he walked back towards the door of the tavern.

"Wife-killer!" came a loud shout, from the back of the room. The other villagers gasped, and Hanzo froze, his hand clenched in a fist on the door to the tavern. He turned, ever so slowly, to confront the man who had made the comment.

"Garwin," Hanzo stated, "I should have suspected you would say something like that." the other man watched Hanzo with terrified eyes, unmoving. Hanzo glared at him for a long time before turning and leaving the tavern.

He stalked through the village, ignoring the glares and fearful expressions on the other villagers faces, as he walked past. A mother pulled her young son closer to her, as her son hid in the folds of her dress.

Hanzo climbed the mountain path leading to Carvan's home. When he reached the cliff the man lived on, he smiled grimly. The house was the same as it always was, small and worn, but still sturdy enough to withstand any storm. Hanzo went to the door and knocked once, twice, and then stood back, waiting. It was several moments before the door opened.

"Hanzo," the other man said, his green eyes softening at the sight of Hanzo. Hanzo smiled at the older man, a grim expression on his face. 

Carvan hadn't changed either, it seemed. His green eyes seemed to teem with life, even if his body appeared less so. The man's hair was gone, leaving behind a shiny, bald scalp. His cheeks were rosy, as they always were, reminding Hanzo of a cherry. The old man's hands were wrinkled with time, and shook slightly as he reached for Hanzo's.

"It has been to long, dear friend." Hanzo said quietly, as the older man grabbed Hanzo's hand.

"Come in, come in. I have the fire going," Carvan said, gesturing. Hanzo followed the man inside, ducking low to avoid hitting his head in the doorway.

"What have you been up to?" Carvan asked Hanzo, sitting in a chair at a small round table. Hanzo sat in the one across from him, and Carvan handed him a cup of tea.

"Traveling, avoiding being captured, the usual." Hanzo chuckled, but it wasn't a happy one. It was filled with his grief and pain, and Carvan gave him a sympathetic look.

"Carvan," Hanzo began. He wasn't sure where he was going with his words, but he let them flow out of him. He was tired of holding it in.

"I met someone," Hanzo said, to which Carvan's eyes widened. And so, Hanzo explained everything that had happened between him and Jesse, everything with Genji, how Overwatch had kidnapped Jesse and Hanzo's attempt to get him back, and he even went as far as to tell Carvan what he wrote in the letter.

When he finished, Carvan sat in silence, leaning back in his chair, his cup of tea still steaming in his hands. It was several moments before Carvan spoke.

"It would seem," began the old man, "that you have found a new mate." Hanzo's heart clenched at the words.

"I can't," he choked out. He silently cursed himself for losing his control, but soon realized he didn't care.

"Hanzo," began the old man softly, his green eyes meeting Hanzo's.

"After Maria died, and you left, I worried about you. I knew you would be alright, given time, but I was worried," Carvan took a long sip from his tea before continuing.

"I hoped you would find a new mate, one who could help you heal. But after years had gone by, I had assumed you were dead, or worse. And then, you show up at my home, battered and bruised, and tell me all this." Hanzo felt a choked sob escape from him, as he listened to the words Carvan said next; "You love the male, don't you?"

It was true, and Hanzo knew it. But he didn't understand it. He didn't approve of it, didn't want it, and yet, it made him feel so confused and so happy at the same time. 

"Hanzo, you need to find this man. You need to find him, and tell him, and make him realize he loves you too." Carvan said, but Hanzo shook his head.

"No, he would be far gone by now. He probably forgot about me," Hanzo choked out. Carvan gave him a small, grim smile.

"You don't really believe that, do you?" 

It was many heartbeats later before Hanzo had recovered, and he took several long gulps of air as he composed himself.

"May I stay here?" Hanzo asked the older man. Carvan nodded.

"Of course. You are always welcome, Hanzo." Hanzo thanked the man, before going outside. The mountain wind bit at him, but he ignored it. He watched as the sun rose above the treetops, the village below beginning to awake. People came out of their homes, feeding their animals or selling their wares. Hanzo realized he missed the familiarity of a village, of knowing you belonged somewhere. Now, he didn't know where he belonged.

 

\---

 

Jesse stood on the hilltop overlooking the tiny village. To his left, a sign read 'Ellsworth'. Jesse frowned. Hanzo would be there, he knew it. The only problem was, where? It would take days to find the male, even with Jesse's tracking skills.

He started towards the village, determination written across his face. He would find Hanzo, even if it killed him. As he neared the village, he heard a gunshot in the distance. He looked around, and realized it had come from the forest, away from the village. He ran in that direction as another gun shot rang out, sending birds into the sky.

Jesse heard the screams some feet away, and as he grew nearer, could scent who was there. 

Three men, and one girl. Jesse burst through the trees into a clearing, where a girl no older than sixteen stood, surrounded by men twice as large as her. She appeared frightened, though wore a scowl, glaring at the men. One of them laughed. Jesse felt the familiar tug inside of him, his inner wolf begging to be released on these monsters.

One of the men noticed Jesse, and, turning, grinned at him.

"You should run along, mate. Before you see something you weren't supposed to see." Jesse glared at the man.

"I already have," he growled, taking a step forwards. The other two eyed him warily. Jesse took in the situation, trying to determine the best path to take. He could fight these men, but it would risk hurting the girl. 

"Get lost. This doesn't concern you," one of the men said. He was taller than the other two, his dark hair gleaming in the sun. Jesse growled again, but didn't move.

"I said," began the dark haired man, lifting his hand, which held a gun, and pointed it at Jesse. "get lost."

Before any of the men had time to react, Jesse transformed, jumping at one and knocking him down. He hit the man over the head with a powerful paw, knocking him out cold. He turned in time to see the other two staring with wide eyes at him. Growling, Jesse inched closer to them, every step causing them to step back farther.

One of the men lunged at him, knife in hand. Jesse easily grabbed his shirt in his teeth, and threw him across the clearing, where he landed with a thump against a tree trunk. The last man, the dark haired one, glared at Jesse.

"Eat shit, werewolf." he said, raising the gun at Jesse. Jesse was going to lunge when, out of nowhere, the man let out a gutteral noise that made even Jesse cringe. He fell to the ground, and, standing behind him, was the girl. 

She stood with a bloody knife in her hands, shaking from head to toe. She dropped the knife as she stared at Jesse. 

Suddenly, Jesse felt himself collapse. He let out a low whine, and, suddenly, fear gripped him so strong he had to resist the urge to curl into a ball.

"You've been hurt," the girl said, walking towards him. Jesse wanted to growl, to warn her to stay away, but he couldn't. She came closer and closer, until she was crouched in front of him, eyes wide. Jesse felt a pain so intense then, that it almost knocked him unconscious. 

"Don't worry," the girl said quietly. "I'll help you, just as you helped me."

Jesse wasn't listening, however, as his mind slipped from consciousness.

 

\---

 

When he awoke, he was lying on a soft bed, his hair plastered to his forehead from sweat. He looked around him, careful not to breathe to loudly, incase there was someone in the room.

There was.

The girl, Jesse realized, was seated beside the bed, a cloth in her hands. She appeared asleep. Jesse studied the girl who had supposedly he had saved. She was young, her face was still not quite filled out, her shape thin, as she had not grown into her curves yet, her light hair falling in her face. Jesse slowly sat up, and threw the blankets back.

What he saw made him suck in a breath. His side was bandaged, black and purple bruises spreading from under the bandages. He cursed: one of the men must have injured him somehow, without him noticing.

"Oh good, you're awake." a soft voice came from beside him, causing him to freeze, motionless in the bed. He slowly turned to look at the girl, wincing as his wound complained.

"I thought you would die," the girl said, watching him with careful, hazel eyes. Jesse stared at them, lost in thought. Who was this girl? Why wasn't she looking at him with fear, like everyone else.

"My name is Allie," she said. Jesse didn't move for a moment, and then' "Jesse." the girl gazed at him curiously.

"I wanted to thank you, Jesse. For saving me. Who knows what would have happened if Marcel and his friends had succeeded." Jesse snorted.

"Jogri was the one who injured you, I saw. He had managed to catch your side with his knife when you had thrown him." Jesse studied Allie carefully, curious as to who she was.

"Where are your parents?" he asked her. The girl grew a saddened expression, and Jesse immediately regretting asking.

"I'm sorry," he said. The girl shrugged, and then smiled at him. 

"It's alright. You didn't know," was all she said. She stood then, going over to a small table and grabbing a bucket of water.

"So," she said, coming back over to where Jesse was sitting. "What brings you here to Ellsworth?" Jesse considered whether it was worth it to tell the girl, or if it would have dangerous complications.

"I'm looking for someone." he finally said, and the girl's head seemed to perk up at the comment.

"Who?" she asked him. Jesse sighed.

"His name is Hanzo. I don't suppose you know him?" he said, looking at the girl. She pursed her lips, her hands seeming to go limp.

"Everyone in the village knows him," she said, almost so quietly that Jesse couldn't hear her. "the older men and women of the village don't talk about it much, but I heard that he had murdered his wife, and then fled the village. No one has known what happened that night, either. Some men went to his home to investigate and they found his wife dead," the girl said quietly. Jesse leaned back against the wall. Hanzo wouldn't kill his own wife, something else must have happened.

"You will heal perfectly fine," the girl said suddenly, changing the subject. Jesse nodded in thanks.

"I can help you find Hanzo, I know where he goes, when he doesn't want to be found." she said to him, causing Jesse to pin her with a stare so intense it seemed to freeze her in place.

"Bring me to him." 

The girl lead him through the village, people saying hello and how are you to her as she passed. She smiled at each of them. None were aware they were in the presence of a werewolf.

"Why did you help me?" Jesse asked suddenly, his curiosity to much for him to bear. The girl laughed.

"Why wouldn't I? Just because your a werewolf, doesn't mean I'm going to leave you to die." she smiled at him. "Besides, you saved me, remember? It was only fair," Jesse nodded, fixing his gaze on the road in front of him.

"Here we are," the girl stopped in front of a small brick house, worn looking, yet appearing sturdy.

"Carvan always welcomed Hanzo." the girl said softly.

"Thank you, Allie. For everything," Jesse said, a grim smile on his face as he watched the younger girl. She smiled, and went to the small wooden door. Knocking twice, she waited for the door to open patiently.

"Allie?" an old man opened the door, his green eyes fixating on Jesse as he said the girl's name.

"Is he here?" Carvan nodded, and opened the door wider, to reveal Hanzo, standing with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Hello, Hanzo." Allie said, a touch of coldness in her voice.

"Allie," Hanzo said, quietly. Jesse watched as Hanzo walked outside, into the sunlight. The male looked the same as when he left, if not a little sadder. Jesse was about to say how much of an idiot he was, when Allie said.

"Why did you kill my mother?"

The question hung in the air as Hanzo stared at Allie, a grim, tired expression on his face. Allie fixed him with her hazel eyes, her hair falling around her shoulders. Jesse sucked in a breath.  _Mother?_

"I didn't." was all Hanzo said. Allie took in a shuddering breath.

"Then why," she said, "did you leave? You didn't even say goodbye!" she shouted, and Hanzo winced. Jesse felt a pang of sympathy for the male.

"I had to, Allie. The villagers would have killed me, and you, if I hadn't." Allie's fists clenched, but she didn't say anything. And then; "I missed you, Hanzo." 

Hanzo's face softened and, slowly, he reached out to the girl, wrapping her in his arms.

"And I you," he said quietly.

 

\---

 

Hanzo held Allie in his arms for a long moment before letting her go. She was crying, and Hanzo resisted the urge to wipe the tears away.

"Ahem," Hanzo heard someone clear their throat. Looking up, he realized with a jolt that Jesse was standing there, watching him. His heart seemed to stop, his world slowing down as he took in the other male.

It was then that he noticed the bandages, and bloody shirt.

"Jesse, you're hurt." he said, approaching the male. Jesse chuckled.

"Hello to you too." Jesse said, coming over to where Hanzo was standing, frozen in place. His eyes didn't leave the other man's face.

"You," began Jesse, "are a dick. You left me a note, Hanzo. A fuckin' note. What were you thinking?" Jesse said, his voice raising higher with each word. Hanzo winced.

"I was trying to protect you-" he was cut off by Jesse grabbing him by the shoulder's, staring into his eyes.

"Don't ever," he said, "ever, do that again. Understand?" when Hanzo nodded, Jesse released his shoulders, and turned, running a hand down his face.

"Jesus, Hanzo. I was going crazy looking for you. I thought something had happened when I woke up and you weren't there, and when I read the note-"

"I love you," Hanzo said, surprising even himself with the words. Jesse froze, his eyes pinned on Hanzo. 

"I love you, Jesse." Hanzo repeated, the words suddenly falling from his lips, without Hanzo being able to stop them. "I love you, and I never want to lose you. That's why I left, I was worried that what happened to Maria.." he trailed off, a choked sob escaping him. He shuddered as another sob came, and then more, and more, until he was on his knees, sobbing. Jesse came over and held him, wrapping his arms around Hanzo while the other man cried into his shoulder.

When the sobs had subsided, and Hanzo was able to think again, he looked up at Jesse.

"I'm sorry," he said. Jesse chuckled then, quietly at first, and then slowly becoming a loud, radiant noise in Hanzo's ears.

"Dammit Hanzo, just stop with your apologizing and kiss me." Jesse reached down and grabbed Hanzo's face in his hands, staring at the other male.

"I love you too," he said, as he connected his lips with Hanzo's.

The kiss lasted for what felt like hours, though it was only a few seconds. Hanzo found himself falling into the other man, who didn't object and, instead, pulled him closer. When they had pulled away, Jesse stared down at Hanzo.

"Come on, we have a lot to discuss, I think." standing, he held out a hand to Hanzo, who took it. Jesse helped him up, and then turned to Allie and Carvan.

"Thank you for helping me, Allie. And Carvan, though I don't know you, I am thankful to you for helping Hanzo. Now, if you don't mind, Hanzo and I have a lot to do." with that, Hanzo said goodbye to both Allie and Carvan, thanking them both, and followed Jesse down the mountain path. When the other two were out of earshot, Jesse turned to Hanzo and said; "You never cease to amaze me with how much you hold in, Hanzo. I know you aren't good with emotions, hell, I ain't either. But I don't want you hiding things from me. Okay?" Hanzo nodded, and Jesse smiled, taking Hanzo's hand in his as they walked down the path, back towards the village.

_I'm happy, Maria._ Hanzo thought, smiling for the first time in days, as he watched Jesse walking beside him.  _I'm finally happy, just like you said I would be._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, the next one will probably be out sometime in the next couple days (I hope). In the meantime, feel free to tell me what you think in the comments, I would love to hear from you!


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